April 29, 2006
Box Score
Game Two Box
STATEN ISLAND, NY - The Wagner College Seahawks split a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Quinnipiac earlier today at Willetts Field, winning game one 4-2 on the strength of a Matt Mastrianni (Jr., Ringoes, NJ / Hunterdon Central) three-run home run. Quinnipiac took game two 10-4.
The Seahawks are now 9-29 and 8-6 in the NEC while the Bobcats are 16-18-1 and 9-4 in the NEC.
The top of the order was red-hot for Wagner on the day as the No. 1-No. 5 hitters went a combined 15-30 with seven runs and six RBI.
In game one, redshirt-junior Andrew Bailey (Haddon Heights, NJ / Paul VI) and Quinnipiac's Chris Wakefield each put up zeros in the first three frames before the Bobcats scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth to go up 1-0. Quinnipiac added one more run in the top of the sixth and looked to be in control with Wakefield cruising on the mound. However, the Seahawks' hitters had other thoughts.
Junior Joseph DiGeronimo (Hawthorne, NJ / Hawthorne) led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to center. Senior Nick Papa (Freehold, NJ / Freehold) followed with another single to center. Junior Ed Sudol (Wallington, NJ / Wallington) then rapped out the third-straight hit of the inning to make it 2-1. Mastrianni followed with a three-run blast over the right field wall to give the Green & White an insurmountable 4-2 lead.
Junior rhp Dan Lanzano (E. Brunswick, NJ / E. Brunswick) picked up his third win of the season in relief hurling 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, yielding one hit. Bailey was impressive in taking the no-decisions, striking out six and giving up one unearned run in 5.0 innings. Wakefield gave up four runs in 5.0 innings in falling to 3-3 on the season.
In game two, the Seahawks picked up where they left off in game as DiGeronimo scored on a Mastrianni groundout to put Wagner up 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Quinnipiac answered with four runs over the next three frames to go up 4-1. The resilient Seahawks would not go away as freshman Andrew Huebner (Hatfield, PA / North Penn) belted his first collegiate home run, a two-run blast, to cut the Quinnipiac-lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
Just like the first game, the Seahawks rattled off four straight-hits to lead off the sixth inning. Papa singled up the middle before Sudol singled to left field. Mastrianni then tied the game up at 4-4 with a single down the left field line that just got by the Bobcat's third baseman. Senior Joseph Malfettano (Toms River, NJ / Toms River North) then followed with a bunt single to load the bases up with no out.
Unlike the first game, the Seahawks couldn't capitalize as Eric Bretscher induced the next two batters into a fly out and an inning-ending double play to keep the score knotted at 4-4.
In the top of the seventh, the Bobcats struck for six unearned runs on just three hits and two Seahawk errors.
Lanzano was the loser in game two falling to 3-6 on the season while Bretscher spun 2.0 scoreless innings of relief to pick up his first win of the year and move to 1-4.
Mastrianni went 2-5 with a home run and five RBI and Sudol was 4-5 to lead the Seahawks' offense. DiGeronimo, Papa and Malfettano also had big games recording three hits apiece.
The two teams will return to the diamond tomorrow at 12 pm for the rubber-match of their three-game set.
